May is Mental Health Awareness Month and KISS 104.1 hosted an evening of honest conversation, connection, and community healing.

Toni & Tony, along with guest host Shanti Das, founder and CEO of Silence the Shame, and licensed professional counselor Tami Brown, held a powerful discussion on breaking the stigma around mental health—especially in our black and brown communities.

Special thanks to Omni Coffee & Eggs for catering dinner for our guest!

About Shanti Das:

Shanti Das is an accomplished entertainment industry veteran, speaker, author, and Philanthropist.

Shanti worked in the entertainment business for over 25 years. Her music industry career (from intern to Executive Vice President) included promotions & marketing positions at Capitol Records, LaFace Records, Columbia Records, Sony Urban Music and Universal Motown where she worked directly with some of music’s top talent like OutKast, Usher, Prince, TLC, Toni Braxton, Erykah Badu, and more.

On a personal note, Shanti has suffered from depression/anxiety over the years and has also experienced loved ones affected with mental health disorders. This led her to step away from the labels in 2009 to begin using her pain for purpose in her community of Atlanta, Georgia and beyond. So, because of Shanti’s extensive community work in the 2010 decade, she decided to establish her very own nonprofit, The Hip-Hop Professional Foundation, Inc. The foundation was rebranded under the name Silence the Shame, Inc., the mental health movement that lead the way since 2016.

Silence the Shame, Inc. has received global awareness and has become a commonly used hashtag to normalize the conversation in America. In 2018, the National Day Calendar recognized May 5th as National Silence the Shame Day! The foundation curates community conversations and care, wellness trainings, creates content and broadens awareness & education around mental health and wellness. (In 2019, Silence the Shame was awarded one of five awards by the American Psychiatric Association Foundation for advancing minority mental health).

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